Retired Villainess Transmigrates into a Cannon Fodder

The Lucky Star Control Corporation in the 70s (12)

Everyone was in their own rooms. For a time, the fire got bigger, and it was only when smokes billowed and flames burst that someone took notice. The men’s urgent shouts and women’s screams rang out at the same time, and a pandemonium instantly erupted in the Chu residence.

Chu Xin was the first to run outside, followed by Chu Lan, who also hid far away, with a petrified expression on her face. Everyone else took basins and buckets and quickly poured water on the flames. Even the nearby neighbors were alerted and came to help.

“Chu Xiang! Chu Xiang? Chu Xiang—” Li Yuezhen shouted in panic, even more anxious when she didn’t get a response. “Chu Xiang is still inside. Husband, what should we do?!”

Chu Weiguo replied irritably, “Stop babbling nonsense and put out the fire. There is no other way!”

Chu Xiang’s small room used to be a place for clutter, and there was only one window that was so narrow for people to climb in. Hence, they could only enter through the door. However, the fire was right at the door. What else could they do other than put out the fire?

When the neighbors heard that there was still someone inside, they all became anxious. They rolled up their sleeves and geared for battle, shouting for help. There was strength in numbers. Ten minutes later, the fire on the wooden doors, door curtains, tables, stools, cabinets and other lit furniture were all extinguished. Chu Weiguo rushed into the room and shook Chu Xiang vigorously. “Chu Xiang! Wake up! Chu Xiang?”

He picked up Chu Xiang and ran into the courtyard. The captain and many villagers rushed to hear the news and anxiously asked how Chu Xiang was doing. Li Yuezhen stepped forward and pinched Chu Xiang, probed for her breath, and cried, “Why? Why does she seem to be out of breath? Captain…”

“Quick… hurry up and take her to the doctor! Someone, you! Go and inform the doctor first and tell him to rush here and join us.” The captain pointed at a young man casually, and then pointed at the old man outside the hospital. “Elder Zhao, use your cart to carry her up, and call two boys to push it off. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Let’s save her!”

Chu Xiang held her breath so that she would not inhale the thick smoke. There was nothing wrong with her, but she was carried into a cart and sent to the clinic shared by several military units. The doctor met them on the way, briefly checked Chu Xiang, felt Chu Xiang’s breath, frowned and followed them back to the clinic. He said worriedly, “This won’t do. I can’t cure her at my level. We have to send her to the hospital. Is her family here? Hurry back to fetch the money. I will give first aid and send her to the county hospital immediately. She’ll be dead if it’s too late.”

Chu Weiguo and Li Yuezhen both ran after the crowd. Hearing this, they were a little dumbfounded. How much would it cost to send Chu Xiang to the county hospital?

But Chu Xiang was in a coma and was breathing her last. They could not refuse, so Chu Weiguo left Li Yuezhen with them and ran home to ask Grandma Chu for money.

The clinic was not far from the brigade, and everyone has nothing to do at the moment. There were more than 30 people watching, and they were all blocking the door of the clinic and looking in.

Chu Xiang pondered the timing, and woke up with a cough just in time after a few minutes when the doctor gave her first aid. Li Yuezhen hurriedly said in surprise, “Chu Xiang, are you awake? Good. Doctor, is everything okay? Is she okay?”

The doctor frowned and said, “Chu Xiang, can you hear me? Are you awake? Do you feel any discomfort?”

Chu Xiang looked at him blankly and said, “I… dizzy…”

Someone shouted, “Chu Xiang, you were almost burned to death. How did the house catch fire?”

Chu Xiang’s eyes flickered, and she coughed weakly, “Chu Lan said…I’ll marry Yin Xu for her, and the whole family agreed. I-I said I want to go to university. I can pass the exam, cough-cough. Then I got so excited, dizzy, and passed out. I don’t know…”

Everyone was paying attention to her. With the total silence, even if her voice was weak, everyone heard her clearly. These few sentences contained a lot of information. It shocked everyone, and they started a heated discussion almost immediately.

What was the matter with Chu Lan? Did Chu Lan and Yin Xu have an agreement? So did she backpedal because Yin Xu’s leg was broken? If she was reluctant, then just retreat. Why did she have to let Chu Xiang marry instead? In what era were they still engaging in a substitute marriage? But the Chu family actually agreed?

And this fire…why did it look like Chu Lan lit it up?

Was it because Chu Xiang insisted on taking the university examination and refused to be her substitute in the marriage, so she wanted to burn her to death? Was Chu Lan so ruthless?

Most of these people in the village were simple minded and bore no malice, but at the same time, they were prone to imagining when they encountered something. They also believed what others said. Besides, there were people who really could do anything regardless of the cost in the chaos of the past years. In their eyes, this kind of deed was nothing strange. It was not strange that Chu Lan set fire to burn Chu Xiang. They just think that she was too cruel.

Li Yuezhen was caught off guard, and by the time she wanted to stop Chu Xiang, it was too late. She went forward, pressed Chu Xiang’s shoulder, and scolded her, “What are you talking about? Who forced you to marry?”

“Don’t… I’m so dizzy…” Li Yuezhen’s movements shook Chu Xiang. She immediately showed a pained expression and “passed out”.

The doctor immediately pulled Li Yuezhen away to examine Chu Xiang, and then he scolded her angrily, “What are you doing? Chu Xiang is dying. Why are you hitting her?! Hurry up and take her to the county hospital. There’s no time to lose!”

Li Yuezhen’s face turned pale. If Chu Xiang ended up dead due to her touch, she would be cast aside for the rest of her life. She couldn’t care less about the money this time, so she hurriedly helped lift Chu Xiang onto the cart, and let the two young men push it to the county quickly.

In such a rush, of course, she forgot to explain to everyone. So half an hour later, everyone in the brigade knew that Chu Lan was going to burn Chu Xiang to death, and that the Chu family wanted Chu Xiang to marry Yin Xu in place of Chu Lan. The key was that someone went to the Chu residence and the Yin residence to inquire about it. The Chu family panicked and frantically denied it, but Yang Yuelan’s reaction in her home convinced everyone of this statement.